Darren Jones MP
@darrenpjones
Labour Member of Parliament, Bristol North West
Solar panels are going up on schools across the country - including Bristol’s own Avonmouth Primary. This Government is taking practical action to help schools generate their own clean electricity, reduce energy costs and support our transition to net zero.
Food banks are under more pressure than ever. That was the clear message from my visit to the North Bristol and South Gloucestershire Foodbank. If you can spare a little extra, please do. It goes straight to families in our community who need it most.
A great turnout in Southmead for my final town hall before the summer break. We covered everything from local concerns to international affairs, with climate change emerging as the biggest topic of discussion. See you at my next Q&A in September!
Free buses and cheaper days out might sound small to wealthy commentators in the Westminster bubble. Families across my constituency would disagree. This Government is helping hardworking parents give their kids a summer to remember.
Thanks to everyone who joined my final Town Hall Q&A before the summer break at the Greenway Centre in Southmead. My next Town Hall will be in September - see you then!
Westbury Welcome has been helping refugee families settle into our community in Bristol North West since 2017 - supporting with housing, education and employment. Through the Government's Community Sponsorship programme, they continue to make a difference for families starting afresh in our city.
Avonmouth is at the forefront of creating good local jobs, growing the economy and building a cleaner future. From major energy projects to ambitious new carbon capture opportunities, the industries of tomorrow are being shaped right here at the Bristol Port.
It was great to meet with Exolum and 7CO2 to hear about their plans for a UK-leading carbon capture, utilisation and storage terminal at Avonmouth Docks. This project could unlock up to £200 million of investment, creating new jobs and helping drive the transition to a cleaner economy.
From the campaign trail and the media studios to the Treasury, No10 and the Cabinet Office. It’s been a privilege to be in the cabinet of a Labour government and to serve the country. Andy Burnham has called to tell me I won’t be a part of his cabinet. I wish him and his team every success.
We’ve been changing the way government works — cutting bureaucracy to get more stuff done. Plenty more to do, not least to push more power out to every part of the country, but let’s see how we’ve been getting on 👇
A brilliant morning talking to local residents in Bishopston and Ashley Down with the Bristol North West Labour team.
The Green Party is charging groups to use our green spaces. The Downs has been protected for "free and uninterrupted use" since 1861. It's right that large commercial events contribute towards maintaining the Downs, but charging small groups to run, exercise or sing together is absurd.
Always a pleasure to be back in Ashley Down. I visited the new train station with Mark from GWR to hear how they're planning to expand local services, connecting residents to the new town and Brabazon development and the new University of Bristol Temple Meads campus.
A privilege to be a part of Keir Starmer’s final cabinet meeting and PMQs as his Chief Secretary. Our Labour government, irrespective of who is in what role, has the mission of spreading wealth, power and opportunity to the many. Keir has done that and long may it continue.
Q: What use is government help if you don’t know about it and can’t figure out how to use it? A: None at all. That’s why Innovation Fellow Teneeka and her team built a new portal for our free childcare offering in just 90 days - a process that historically took 18 months.
Great to see our No10 Innovation Fellows in the FT. Inspired by the team who built the Presidential Innovation Fellows for @barackobama.bsky.social, we send tech experts across public services to help us move fast and fix things. Read more (£): www.ft.com/content/4df5...
We sent a forward-deployed AI engineer to prison. He’s not a criminal - he’s been creating tools that are massively saving staff time and are now being rolled out across the Prison Service. The No10 Innovation Fellows were set up to do exactly this - helping us to move fast and fix things.
The UK has immense untapped potential. The Civil Service needs young people with fresh perspectives, even if they don’t fit the traditional "Civil Service mould". Delighted to welcome this year's Summer Internship cohort, a path for talent from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to work in government.
Trust in politics depends on transparency. That's why conflicts of interest must be declared, lobbying rules must be upheld, and saying "it's none of your business" isn't good enough.
A £5 million donation may suit Nigel Farage, but transparency isn't optional - whether you force a by-election or not. The Government is introducing tougher checks on those trying to buy and sell our democracy.
The Downs Committee forgot to discuss concerns I raised about the council's plans to charge small businesses to use the Downs. I'm not letting this go. Here's why the 160-year-old law that protected the Downs should have settled the issue long ago.
Our final set of Cabinet Office parliamentary questions in the House of Commons before a new team is appointed. It’s been a privilege to support the Prime Minister and to work with a brilliant team in the Cabinet Office, and we wish our successors well.
Security staff, cleaners and caterers are as much a part of the team as anyone else in government. They should be properly treated as such.
A pleasure to meet with Ambassador Baumann @uk.diplo.de today. I affirmed our commitment to deeper ties with the EU and we discussed the opportunities for greater collaboration between our two nations on defence, trade and space. 🇬🇧 🤝 🇩🇪
Proud to share the best of the South West with Ambassador Suzuki. And slightly embarrassed that the Japanese Ambassador can say “gert lush” in a better Bristolian accent than I can! 🇬🇧 🤝 🇯🇵
Delighted to meet Ambassador Suzuki to discuss the UK-Japan relationship. The UK is committed to working together to strengthen our collective security, economic prosperity and cultural partnership. 🇬🇧 🤝 🇯🇵
AI is going to reshape the British economy. That’s why our Labour mission to share power, wealth and opportunity is more important than ever - so that we create wealth, good jobs and brilliant public services here in the United Kingdom.
A good job can completely transform someone’s life. I was grateful to meet young people, care leavers, and the businesses giving them a chance to build their own futures, in the West Midlands, to launch a new partnership to unlock untapped potential.
Looking forward to talking about the future of the UK tomorrow on BBC Question Time and how we’re applying Labour values to the big challenges we face as a country. 👇